Sakura to ame
by Chouseeiyana Monoke
Summary: Hijikata is oblivious to Souji's feelings for him and the first captain can't take too much more of his ignorance. Will it take a stranger to help bring them together or rip them apart? FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note(s):** This is a slight crossover/combining certain animes/mangas between Peacemaker Kurogane and Samurai Champloo. Only one character appears in this fic from the latter anime/manga…so yeah. I'm sure that someone has attempted this already (crossing the two)... If not, I feel sort of odd doing it. ..; I am still confused about **Samurai Champloo'**s time frame, but since it took me too long to write this, I just have to push forward. The title of this fic originated from a lovely song by the indie Japanese rock band, **Deadman**. Big ol' warning for OOC-ness. Comments and criticism are more than welcomed. Annnnd do enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** **Peacemaker Kurogane** does not belong to me but to the awesome Nanae Chrono. Annnd **Samurai Champloo** belongs to the…creators of **Cowboy Bebop**!

* * *

**Sakura to ame **

"I'll take that one too, please. Oh! And that one as well if you don't mind!"

The middle-aged salesman smiled as he reached inside of the glass case brimming with an assortment of candies. The young man before him was one of his few 'every other day' customers. Every other day, this long-haired youth would step into his shop, eyes wide, engulfed with a child-like curiosity, and lips were stretched in to an innocent smile. He could only watch as the young man bustled and buzzed about, no doubt peering at all of the candies restrained as well as displayed in glass cases. Sometimes, he had a companion or more tagging along with him, and even they couldn't catch up with his nimble frame as it rushed to and fro. Only one male in particular could settle him, reprimand him from moving around too fast or too much. Compared to the sun-shine glow that illuminated the younger man's face, the other man represented a dark, moonless night with the deep scowl that resided upon his features.

"Will this be all for you, young man?" He inquired softly, placing the chosen candies inside of a paper bag. This customer had already decided upon several other candies before these. He wasn't a picky candy-eater, thankfully.

"Ah, uuummm…" looking rather thoughtful as his eyes scanned the cases rather thoroughly, he couldn't help but to note how much he was splurging on sweets today. With his own money no less. Perhaps he'd convince Hijikata to purchase him more later on. Just for old time's sake.

"I'd like three bags of black candy too! That'll be all for today, Sanagatsu-san!"

Sanagatsu Aoi produced a highly amused laugh as he reached inside of the case and withdrew the indicated number of the specified candy. This boy's light, almost airy childish demeanor was quite infectious. It was like a rare yet sweet scent that one inhaled on a horridly awful day, and just from that one inhalation, everything seemed right within the world.

Placing the sweets inside of the bag, the older man then calculated the figures mentally. Today, the other had spent well over 1100 yen. He must have placed himself on a budget of some kind, or, considering how he was alone and wasn't accompanied by the tall and lurking man that frowned a good percentage of the time, he would probably wait until later to have _him_ splurge upon his sweet tooth. "That'll be 1200 yen, young sir."

Beaming quite proudly, Okita Souji reached inside of his coin purse and silently thanked Kondo Isami for stealthily slipping him a few more yen or so in his stash. Hijikata had given him a firm lecture on spending and over-spending on sweets while giving him 1100 yen to spend. Fortunately, Kondo, fully knowing that that little bit of yen wouldn't cover much, decided to give the young male more. Of course he had checked his surroundings first before doing such a thing. Everyone knew that when Hijikata strictly enforced something upon Souji, it was a law, and it was to be abided by all, including Kondo.

Haplessly, the chief was a man who couldn't stand to see a pouting Souji. Such an expression had caused him to break the law within the same hour it had been forced.

…and Souji hoped that Hijikata had not been spying in on them during the exchange…

"Here you are!" Souji announced as he placed the exact amount of change in to the man's awaiting palm.

"Oh no, thank you young man," Aoi proclaimed with a wide smile of his own, handing the paper bag over to Souji. "You have a nice day, okay?"

Chuckling softly, the royal-purple eyed commander nodded, accepting his bag full of candies merrily. "Oh, I will. You too, sir."

Stepping away from the counter, Souji then turned on his heel and headed for the exit. He would be on duty in the next few hours, so he wanted to be sure to have a treat awaiting him when he returned to the Shinsengumi Head Quarters.

Poking his head out a bit, he peered up at the sky, somewhat surprised at how quickly the clouds had transitioned from being a pure white to a now dreadful gray.

Souji frowned. Was this a tiny punishment for him from accepting the few extra yen? It had been so lovely out, no one would have dared fathom that rain would sneak its way in at all.

"Young man?"

Sticking his head back in, he then whirled on his heel, facing the salesman with raised brows.

"Hai?"

"You do know that the rain season is fast approaching, don't you?"

"Ah! I forgot all about the rain season!" Souji confessed, now very much surprised by this new piece of information. The rain season usually meant a consecutive amount of days would be dreary and filled with rain all day and all night. It also meant that Hijikata would not, for the life of anyone, allow Souji outside of the head quarters until the ground was completely dry.

"Well, if you need an umbrella, I certainly wouldn't mind if you borrowed one of mine."

Lips curling in to another grin, Souji just nodded graciously. At least this would help keep Hijikata's persistent worries at bay.

"Thank you, Sanagatsu-san!"

* * *

The sheets of rain came down like a torrent of pellets, tapping the ground rhythmically. Such heavy droplets had caused many to rush to their places of residences, or to simply close up shop and retire to their beds. No one desired to be caught anywhere near this weather, for the fear of becoming thoroughly drenched and then receiving a devastating illness was more than just an idea, but a mere promise. 

He, however, only watched as the town's people scurried home, resembling tiny vermin as they did so. They ran, uncovered in this hellish rain, almost as if the water would not touch them. How simplistic and ignorant to believe such a thing.

Yet, if one were to cease their rushing, they too would have witnessed the young man settled beneath the tree, staring. The only protection he obtained was his straw hat, which obviously did not help much. He felt that he may as well be standing out in the street, hat and all.

Nevertheless, he remained there, back against the bark of the tree. Eyes closed, he bowed his head, simply listening to the rain's melodic production. It was very rare that he received such an opportunity to reside in complete silence nowadays. It had been what? A few months since he had truly offered his appreciation to nature? Not that he paid much attention to the weather and Mother Earth's inhabitants, he just desired a moment's worth of silence.

…but ever since he met _those_ two…

Luckily, he had escaped his so-called 'traveling companions' and wandered through town, possessing no destination in particular. The girl, she had meandered behind him before something had caught her eyes, and that obnoxious, overly annoying guy had, undoubtedly, ventured off in to the Red Light District for absolute pleasure. Or whatever that vagrant engaged himself in to.

So now it was just him, the rain, and his thoughts.

He deserved a much-needed rest.

* * *

"It's raining; why are you outside?"

_"I should be asking you the same thing."_

_"Aha, but I'm the one with the umbrella though, Silly."_

_"And? You'll still catch cold."_

_"At least mine won't be as hideous as yours."_

_"You would say such a thing."_

_"Seriously, why are you still out here?"_

_"To clear my head, perhaps."_

"Ne, sir? Sir?"

A soft but firm tug upon his sleeve, followed by a gentle voice.

"Sir? You shouldn't be outside in this weather ne. You'll catch a horrid cold!"

A slight frown fell upon his brows. Evidently, this person contained worries for others rather than themselves. Such unselfishness would have been greatly appreciated by one who gave an absolute damn.

Jin, however, wasn't one of those who gave a rat's ass at the moment. He was exhausted, not to mention hungry, and being broke beyond belief was not assuaging his predicament at all.

So having some stranger informing him that he could catch a cold out in this weather was a very trivial thing considering his situation. Oh yes, very much trivial.

Nevertheless, he figured, being nice might actually get him somewhere. Maybe a nice room, containing a warm bed. A small, hot meal would have been nice too…

Slowly, his eyelids drifted open, revealing dark, feral cobalts. His vision was some what clouded from the cat-nap he had received. Without his glasses, his vision would remain somewhat blurred until he could scrounge about for them.

"Aha, I see you're not accustomed to our rainy season, sir."

Jin blinked. A face was now developing before him. Now a low-tinted pair of royal purple irises, with a lighter shade of hair to complement them, almost perfectly. Pale skin, almost like his own…

At the moment, he could practically hear Mugen saying something shrewd, like "Damn, she's cute," or something much more crude and uncalled for. However, between his squinting and outright glaring, Jin couldn't quite place this person's sex. Yes, they contained a soft, childish voice, but it was too much of a child's tone for him to determine whether he was a boy, or she was a girl.

It was now Souji's turn to blink. Either this man was deaf or he was too sluggish to actually respond to him just yet. He wasn't quite sure. By gazing at him though, he shouldn't have been neither…

Kneeling down before him, Souji carefully held the umbrella up, assuring that it protected the both of them for the moment. There was something about this man that just screamed 'high-class' and stoicism. A certain firmness that made him seem unbearably strong…almost like…

"Your glasses slipped off while you were sleeping," Souji pointed out as he picked them up and offered them to Jin. "I just happened to be passing by when they fell."

"Thank you," Jin said rather blandly as he plucked the bifocals out of Souji's grasp. This one sounded like a boy. Or a teenager at least.

He tilted his head, as if Jin himself were a specimen of some kind. Yes, this one resembled Hijikata somewhat. Behavior-wise anyway. For one, he didn't seem like much of a conversationalist. Two, he kept staring at him as if he were attempting to figure something out.

"Ne, you're not from around here, are you?"

Jin's gaze, unwavered by the inquiry, shifted over Souji's face for a long moment, taking in the young features as much as his somewhat bleared sight would allow him to. Either the boy attained a firm knowledge when it came to reading people's faces, or he simply knew an unfamiliar face when he saw one.

"I am not," he finally answered. Peering down at his glasses, he then began to clean them off with his right sleeve, undaunted by the young man's devotion in keeping him from being anymore drenched than he already was.

Souji couldn't help but to smile at his confirmation. It wasn't often that he came across a stranger who was taciturn, stoic, and more importantly, not apart of the Choshuu. He could just tell that this one was a wandering samurai, a ronin, really. Perhaps the garments that he wore was what gave him away; Souji wasn't too sure.

"Most people tread quite far away from the capital during this time," he began softly, eyes witnessing the steady flow of rain as it pelted the ground mercilessly, "this season usually brings about long and horrid delays for traveling, which is why visitors tend to stray away from here." And how deserted and barren the capital did look during her rainy season. It was rather amazing whenever her citizens dared to step outside, with or without an umbrella. When it was time to patrol the streets, the task was usually brief and without any difficulties due to the mere fact that no one desired to cause any trouble in such horrendous weather.

Sliding his glasses back on, Jin then focused his eye-sight upon Souji, taking in his young, effeminate features clearly. Well, now, this one certainly didn't look all that masculine…at all. Perhaps he was a girl with a rather…interesting voice? Or maybe he was just one of those androgynous males…

Carefully, Jin then reached up and removed his glasses. Yes, this was a lot better .

"My companions and I came to the conclusion that this was the final day of the rainy season," the ebony haired man responded in his neutral tone. Someone had informed Mugen that once they entered the capital, the dreadful season would have ceased, thus bringing about tiny signs of spring. Unfortunately, whoever was Mugen's informer, had been horribly wrong.

A light, airy laugh escaped past Souji's lips at that. It was remarkable how he found light of such a situation, especially since he would be restricted from setting foot outside the head quarters from today on. "The final day? Sir, this isn't even the first hour!"

The amusement that had somehow slithered its way in to the matter had not quite bitten Jin. As a matter of fact, he hadn't even acknowledged the hilarity. Perhaps the youth had attained one of those inner jokes that he believed would be caught on by others.

_"Well, what's the use of it being an inner joke?"_

Ceasing his laughter, Souji continued to smile at his new acquaintance. He looked to be rather tall. Even the royal blue hakama that he wore seemed to add more to his height. His stark, pale flesh was a great contrast to the raven mane that was restrained in a ponytail. He found himself rather attracted to dark tresses as of late, considering how Hijikata was an everyday victim to his playful tugging.

"Na, shouldn't you be returning to your room sir? The rain's not going to be this lenient in the next couple of hours."

Jin gave that bit of information much due thought before his stomach seemed to have twisted and turned at a haphazard rate. Following these hectic motions was a low, queer growl that had erupted from the very pit of his stomach.

…he hoped that the rain's incessant beating was loud enough to cover the embarrassing noise. Here he was, a wandering samurai, hungrier than a village or more, but he wore the title of being absolutely broke like no other that he couldn't even consider investing in a half-assed meal or a cold room to rest in.

Souji's exuberant expression melted in to a concerned frown. "And sir, sitting here almost starved won't help you much if you catch a cold."

Tossing a small glare at the younger man, Jin then replied, almost heatedly, "I have you know, I would be in a rather comfortable state if I acquired the proper funding to be. However, seeing as though I do not, I'd prefer to sit here for a while, if that's okay with you?"

"Sitting here won't get you food or a room though," Souji pointed out amusedly.

Parting his lips to say something else, Jin's stomach returned a response to the commander of the first squadron of the Shinsengumi. A rather loud and awful response at that.

Souji, who was beyond the point of bursting from an onslaught of giggles, quietly and fortunately stifled the urge. Instead, he suppressed a cute, disarming grin at the ronin. "I see that my point has just been proven."

Jin gazed at the youth crossly before he exhausted a tired sigh. "Perhaps."

"There's an inn a good walk or so near the Red-Light District. I'm sure they'll find an odd but simple task for you to perform so that you'll be able to pay for your stay there."

Raising a delicate eyebrow at Souji, Jin then tilted his head to the side slightly, gaze somewhat condescending as he eyed him. Amazing. How long had they been acquainted again? "You mean to tell me that you're willing to assist a stranger who could be up to no good?"

"If the stranger knows what's best for him, he'd stay away from trouble for right now," Souji smoothly dead-panned, smile still in place.

It was at this point that Jin finally chose to examine Souji. That whole, merry aura that the man once possessed had blackened considerably. Not only that, but his stare…it was piercing, and hellishly dark. However, only his smile remained cheerful and sunny. It was as if the venom had not caressed his lips just yet.

A soft, low chuckle emitted from Jin. This one was truly unique, or so he thought. He had had his fair share of enemies who possessed such a nature, but they had not been this young, nor had they bothered to make themselves a proper acquaintance.

"Ah, so you're not a stone wall after all!"

Jin froze. "What?"

"Nothing!" Souji proclaimed, his sunshine-like demeanor having fully returned. "It's just that, you remind me of someone who is a stone wall."

"I'm sure that person has their reasons," he said with a slight shrug. Of course he certainly with held his own reasons for being silent, so he somewhat sympathized with that person.

"Hmm, perhaps," Souji said.

After a long moment of complete silence, they both stood, emerging almost in unison. It was quite clear that Jin would be the taller one, considering how he was nearly towering over Souji while he was sitting down. It was fine. The young commander was becoming more and more accustomed to others being taller than him nowadays.

Without warning, Souji then shoved a small paper bag in to Jin's abdomen, nearly taking the man by surprise.

"Here."

Looking skeptical, the ronin looked down at Souji's face, then, of course, the paper bag that was being gently pushed in to him.

"What's this?"

"Something to tide you over until you reach the inn."

"I can't accept this."

"Na! But I'm offering!"

Jin rolled his eyes, now deciding to slide his glasses back on. He was more than certain that whoever passed by would receive the wrong idea. As if they were trading something illegal, or detrimental to the capital's society.

"If he won't accept it, don't force it upon him."

The two men under the umbrella blinked before turning their attention to the strong, firm voice's source.

There, standing beneath his own umbrella, was a tall and somewhat peeved older man. Just like Jin, he too possessed long ebony hair, yet it was far longer. He also had a nice, fitting tan, which offset his intense gaze immensely. His expression wasn't one that belonged to a friendly, loveable individual, but rather an authoritative and impassive one, who, if even slightly provoked, would rupture and crush every bone inside of the provoker's very body.

"I see someone decided to wake up," Souji retorted a tad sourly, smile fading.

Hijikata Toshizou snorted haughtily at that, dark orbs then landing upon the man that the commander was standing so…close to…

"I would have remained asleep if it weren't for you wandering about in this awful weather," Hijikata pointed out gruffly, continuing to eye Jin blandly. "You're just going to make that cough of yours worse."

Souji stared at the vice-chief for a long moment, studying the older man in pure silence. This could have been considered a ritual for them. Whenever Souji dared to wander outside before or after his patrolling duties, Hijikata would actually rouse from whatever he was engaging in and then proceed to look about for him. The stoic man seemed to know of Souji's whereabouts, even when he didn't inform him of them. Hijikata just _knew_ where the younger man was.

"Humph," the purple-eyed one responded, now quite irritated by the other's presence. He then returned his attention back to Jin, lips quickly spreading in to a full grin. "Just take it. I'm sure you'll find it very appetizing ne."

Jin never considered himself to be an instigator. He, for one, did not indulge in such indecency and looked down upon others who dared to even take on the role. It wasn't like him at all. He preferred to settle matters in a more manlier way. With his sword, no less.

However, his gaze had been shifting between the two men. They obviously knew each other, and the one he was somewhat acquainted with seemed rather agitated by the other.

Mugen's attitude was slowly beginning to poison him, so it was definitely time to depart.

"Thank you," Jin said, grasping the bag as he bowed his head deeply in appreciation. "Your generosity and kindness will not be overlooked."

"Ah, you're so welcome!" Souji exclaimed merrily, now shoving the umbrella in to his chest. "Take this too. So you won't catchnothing too horrendous."

"Your courtesy is just too much," the ronin complimented, also accepting the offered umbrella without hesitation.

"I'm so glad that _someone_ thinks so," he said with a bright smile, but not without cutting his eyes in Hijikata's direction.

Hijikata simply glared at both of them.

"Perhaps I shall see you soon, and if not, it's been nice being acquainted with you," Jin supplied in a soft tone. "I can not thank you enough."

"It's fine," Souji easily dismissed it all with a slight wave of his hand, "I just hope that what's left inside of the bag will be enough to suffice."

"I'm more than certain that it will."

Hijikata watched the simple exchange between the two in sheer, heated quietness. All he had done was make himself known to the two and all Souji had done was gaze at him as if his presence were a bad seed. And it was rather plain and vivid that this stranger wasn't all that interesting. Hell, he barely looked like he was actually conversing with Souji until…

…he had shown up.

Swallowing whatever anger was evident, Hijikata began to approach the two, not at all concerned with whether or not Souji would voice his irritation. He would deal with that later.

"I shall take my leave now," Jin announced, feeling a sense of accomplishment arise within him. Bowing again, he then said, "Once more, I thank you."

"You're quite welcome," Souji also bowed in return, straightening himself just as quickly. "Have a safe journey ne!"

Stepping away from the younger Shinsengumi, Jin then noted the approaching vice-chief. It was rather clear that he was upset with the both of them, but it was all too plain who he was currently blaming, and it certainly wasn't the cheerful youth.

It was then that he realized that Hijikata had been full out glaring at him, eyeing him contemptuously. As if Jin had stolen something right under his nose and Hijikata was fully aware of it.

Aha, as if.

Without uttering a word, the ronin released a light cough before he adverted his gaze. He had gotten a rise out of plenty of people, but never quite like this. Whatever he had done, Jin was more than certain that it was a minimal doing.

…and the fact that this actually humored him…well, it truly presented how pathetic this matter truly was.

Subsequently, it was no surprise when Hijikata's cold stare hardened at the sight of Jin's eyes landing upon him, as well when he had slowly veered his stare upon something else. If he could have, he would have closed his umbrella, marched right up to him, and he would have promptly shoved the rain protector right up his--

"Ask before you leave, hm?"

Hijikata turned his attention to Souji, now thoroughly attempting to block the departing image of Jin. The man hadn't even muttered a damn word to him and he had already unnerved him.

"Ask what?"

"I found your note that you left for Kondo-san. You want me to ask before I leave the compound? How silly, Hijikata-san."

"It's for your own good, don't you think? Otherwise--"

"Otherwise what?" Souji countered with ease, squinting at the scenery displayed before him. In the next few hours, the rainfall would increase at an exceptional rate. Everyone who resided in the capital was aware of this, but here they were, standing outside and arguing.

Hijikata released an exhausted sigh. "You don't carry around any weapons whatsoever. I think I have every right to know when you're leaving."

He extended his arm forward, palm facing the dark, gray skies. The rain was coming down pretty hard, for its droplets seemed to pierce his very hand.

"I am not a child anymore, Hijikata-san. You should learn to accept that."

The ebony-haired man frowned. No matter how many times the first squadron commander pointed that out, he still could not help but to feel a little distressed by it. It wasn't even fresh news, but rather news that he desired to dismiss.

"Besides," Souji began, looking quite thoughtful, "don't you want me to _not_ be a child?" There was a hint of something more within the inquiry, aside from amusement. It was almost a bait that he had reeled out, just to see if Hijikata would grab on to it and snag it while Souji reeled it back in.

"Of course, but it's rather difficult when you keep running off or eating candy by my ear constantly."

Now it was Souji's turn to relieve a soft, tired sigh. Perhaps today wasn't the best day to be offering implications. It seemed like never was ever a best time. Whenever his attempts appeared to be successful, Hijikata would utter one word that would spoil his entire ploy. He was considering just writing him and informing him of what was currently going on.

Mentally brushing that aside, Souji thenturned around and exclaimed, "Kondo-san eats candy too!"

_"How childish,"_ Hijikata thought to himself. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with the younger male. Probably nothing.

"Kondo's a different matter, Souji-kun."

Allowing his hand to fall to his side, the smaller warrior turned around, now facing the other. There was almost no need of debating with Hijikata, especially since the man's main focus was on his health. Whenever he brought it up, Souji batted the topic away. He believed it to be taboo to his nature. A fire that would burn the blockade he had built for himself some time ago.

So, like he so expertly did whenever the subject even seemed like it was about to present itself in to their conversation, Souji changed the topic.

"Ne, I gave my candy away, Hijikata-san," he announced in a light-hearted tone.

Hijikata blinked. He then blinked again. A damn near miracle. "Good. I'm proud of you."

Souji's smile widened, too innocently. "But I'd like more."

Certainly not the reaction he had been hoping for but at least he wasn't upset with him anymore, or so he thought. He had noticed that Souji's attitude was becoming more and more awkward lately though. Usually he was somewhat pleasant company to him whenever he wasn't on duty. Now, whenever they had retired in his room, Souji would not stay long. He'd bid his goodnights and then disappeared in to his own quarters until morning. This had been going on for almost three weeks now.

Such behavior made him question himself--something he had not done in a long, long while.

"Souji," he commenced firmly, glaring down at him, "we'll go buy more candy, but you'll have to remain inside for the remainder of the evening."

That…sounded fair. As much as he sometimes hated to admit it, there was a lot to invest your time in to inside. Like sparring with Tetsunosuke-kun, conversing with Tatsunosuke-kun or Yamanami-san, witnessing Shinpachi, Heisuke, and Sanosuke tease Tetsu…

…reading Hijikata's haikus…

Just the thought of that caused Souji to perk up considerably. He had already snatched it out of the vice-chief's hiding place earlier and had replaced it with one of his old sketch books. At least the evening looked to be eventful and filled with amusement later on.

"That's fine with me, Hijikata-saaan!" He supplied in a merry, sing-song voice. Such a tone usually meant mischief, but thankfully, no one had quite caught on to that just yet.

"Don't complain when your teeth fall out," Hijikata admonished, cold stare becoming more than lukewarm. "You'll have a reason to remain inside then."

"Na! But you'll still talk to me, right?" Souji nearly cried out in mock desperation, grabbing a hold of the other's arm, "even if I am toothless, I'll still be worthy of your attention, right?"

Hijikata's left eye seemed to twitch at that. "Absolutely not."

The first commander blinked before hurriedly burying his face in to the arm that he possessed a strong grasp upon. Of course he knew that Hijikata was simply teasing him. How he managed to complete such a thing with his everyday stern features always amazed him.

"You're so mean Hijikata-san! I would be completely miserable if I wasn't worthy of your attention!"

He smirked at that. "Then stop eating so much candy. Then you won't have to worry about such a thing."

Turning his head out of the fabric of the man's sleeve, a small, sad smile hovered upon Souji's lips. Their games always seemed to steer their way in to such a direction. For the past few weeks now he had been trying to avoid the hurt that seemed to reside at the base of his throat whenever Hijikata did not respond to his sentimental teases correctly. Either he was ignorant to these remarks brimming with hints of how he felt, or the man was a bit slow when it came to these situations.

He wanted to be mad, desired to be slap-angry at him, but Souji couldn't bring himself to be. Something was permitting him from being that way towards Hijikata. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The thing was that the truth was only released during their playful banter. It was the only time that he could seem to voice how he felt for the impassive vice-chief. It was like Hijikata's haikus, only through this could he express his passion for nature among other things. Through joking about, Souji could only seem to present his need and love for him.

Subsequently, the sad thing was that Hijikata Toshizou would probably never know how miserable Okita Souji would be with or without him.

To be continued

* * *

**Closing Note(s):** Let's see, the tiny conversation in italics? It's occurring in someone's mind...and if you know who that someone is, you'll receive a cookie:D Anywho, hope you enjoyed the first chapter! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note(s):** Excuse for this being three months late? I started college and yeah. I started college and a bunch of stuff starting happening. However, I finished this chapter a week or so after I finished the first one. I was just trying to churn out as much as possible before I posted again. Chapter three is almost complete, so there won't be a long wait for that one. Warnings for OOC-ness and probably some improper grammar and whatnot…you may correct me up and down for it too. If you're willing to help me out by editing, that would be SO great. Comments/criticisms are more than welcomed. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Peacemaker Kurogane** belongs to Nanae Chrono-san. **Samurai Champloo?** Well, the great Shinichiro Watanabe was apart of that project, so it _certainly_ does not belong to me either.

* * *

**Sakura to ame**

The rain had miraculously ceased after its straight six hour down fall. It had been awfully silent in his room, the continuous pour the only noise that filtered throughout his rented quarters. He had been enormously thankful for the much desired quiet. It felt like a breath of fresh air that he had needed after being cooped up with that girl and that pathetic excuse for a 'samurai'. Once he had noted that he was all alone and there was absolutely no one around to pester or frustrate him, a grand sense of relief overwhelmed his entire being. He felt that he was cleansed of all his horrid troubles.

But then…

_"Sir, your meal." _

Dark, feral eyes examined the elderly woman for a brief moment before landing upon the tray filled with an assortment of dishes. For once he could feast in utter silence and contentment. Not only that, but he didn't have to skip out on paying for it either. Everything was already taken care of. It all just seemed too surreal to him though.

"I thank you, Tanabe-san," he offered with a soft bow.

The old woman laughed, eyes shinning with a brilliant light. "It's no problem, son. Are you from around here?"

Hm, now how many times had he heard this today? Then again, he hadn't quite heard it formulated in an actual question before. "No, I am not."

She nodded slightly at his response, as if it had caused her to come to an understanding. "Ah, it's so difficult to tell nowadays. Usually one can decipher who's from a certain city by their complexion..."

His elegant brows furrowed deeply at that. "Pard--"

"…but ever since the Shinsengumi acquired their share of pale-faced warriors, it's been rather a nuisance for someone as old as me to tell."

'Pale-faced?' He hadn't quite heard it put like that before. However, the comment seemed to border along the lines of sounding condescending…

Or, perhaps, he had been around Mugen for far too long.

"Well, don't allow me to keep you from your meal," the old woman known as Tanabe began with a perk, "Agatsuma-san relayed how hungry you were, so I won't keep you."

Clasping his hands together before he commenced to bowing deeply, he couldn't help but to allow his nostrils to intake the aroma of his fine meal as he did so. How long had it been since he was given such a generous offer? It seemed like ages ago, really. Subsequently, he planned on enjoying just as much as his stomach would permit him to.

After mentally stating a blessing over his food, he then plucked his pair of chopsticks from his tray with his left hand. With his right appendage, long, limber fingers then carefully lifted a quaint-sized bowl filled with rice. Great trails of steam rose from the bowl's contents, swarming in to the air and into his nose. This form of heat was overly comforting, especially to the pads of his fingertips as they pressed themselves against the dish almost anxiously.

Raising his eating utensil, he then dipped the chopsticks into the bowl, casually hoisting a clump of rice to his already awaiting lips. Somehow, he could already taste the bit of rice, even though it was only a fraction of a half an inch away.

Whoever knew that being this patient for so many months could lead to such a refinement like this? Certainly not him, until now…

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?"

Jin lightly cringed at the irritating voice that still evaded his ears. It had been enough to cause him to drop his steaming hot bowl of rice unceremoniously in to his lap. The harshly heated contents had practically scalded his upper thigh but had thankfully missed other regions that he felt he would need later on down the line of his life. How on earth had that vagabond found him? Didn't the Red Light District keep her occupants busy for long periods of time?

_"You fuckin' ass, what do you think you're doing?"_

_"Don't be stupid. What does it look like I am doing?" _

"You're being damn greedy, that's what I'm looking at right now."

_"When one is beyond the point of starving, there's no such thing as greed until he's had his full."_

_"Bullshit!_ _You could have at least looked around for us first!" _

"Oh? Like you would have?"

"…shut the fuck up."

Even so, Mugen was just as unfortunate as him. Meaning, that neither of them possessed any form of funding. Jin had been the lucky one to bump in to the teenager an hour or so before he had arrived at the Agatsuma's Inn.

Speaking of that young man, he had not acquired his name. Then again, neither one of them had seemed willing to exchange references. Jin had learned that names didn't matter much at all when it came to first impressions. That first encounter was what usually set the foundation for more encounters with that person or individuals identical to that person.

The teenager, however, had managed to make a lasting one upon him for some reason. A lasting and unique impression at that. This was a first for him, having a young man to leave his interests piqued and whatnot.

Just like she had done not so long ago.

Then there was the bag brimming with all sorts of goodies that he had been given. Candies, to be more specific. Once he had been a fair distance away from the youth and the older man, he had took a tiny peek at what was inside of the brown paper bag. His discovery had only caused him to second-guess the teen's age. Seventeen or eighteen had been the two probable figures strewing about in his head, but the candy made him back down a few numbers.

Nevertheless, a string of amusement tied itself about him once he had gotten away from that idiot of a loud mouth (with incident, of course). He wasn't that big of a fan of sweets, really. If he had no choice or options in the matter though, he would devour whatever bit of candy he could obtain. During his journey to the inn, he had made a valiant attempt to not slip his hand into the bag and withdraw a few pieces of candy. Unfortunately, his stomach had literally _caved_ in and beckoned that he eat at least one piece.

It had been a rather crucial experience, feeling his stomach demand with such an immensely harsh pressure. He did succumb however, and reached into the bag with a slight grimace. His fingers had managed to pluck a piece of black candy from the paper confines. He then wondered how one satisfied their hunger from these tiny morsels. They did not seem like they could fulfill any sort of hunger, or appetite. Yet, he had witnessed that teenager grasp around the bag and how he practically clutched it to himself while they conversed lightly. Apparently, the candy withheld some sweet power of those who ate it.

_"Hey, Jin, where did you get that candy?" _

He didn't have to look up to know that it was the girl questioning him.

"It was given to me."

"What did you do?" the pathetic ronin began mischievously. "Threatened a child for his candy?"

"I said that it was given to me you ingrate. I didn't have to threaten anyone for it."

"Alright you two," the girl admonished in a ginger tone hinting with warning.

His eyes gazed down at the paper bag of candy by his side. After dinner and a change of clothes, he had consumed quite a bit of the sweets. It was no wonder why children craved for such after finishing their dinner.

"Well, is it any good?" He heard Fuu ask curiously.

"Yes. Yes it is."

"Quit being a greedy little shit and share then!" Mugen demanded irritably, reaching for the bag of candy.

"That hand of yours…"

The unruly samurai blinked as he came to a halt. "Yeah, so? What about it?"

He began to unsheathe his katana. "Is that the hand that you wish for me to cut off or are you just stretching?"

"…you wouldn't."

"HEY! STOP IT YOU TWO!"

Jin released a seemingly ragged sigh. The bowl of rice that he had haplessly dropped in his lap had left a stain or more in return. Tanabe-san had offered to relieve him of his delicates, but even she could not manage to cleanse the dark remnants. So, she suggested that he venture near the outskirts of the capital and have his hakama professionally tended to by Masafumi Kaori. This woman was somewhat of a burly female, short and stout in stature. Her features were stern and set one moment but over-friendly and silly the next. Women like that were somewhat perplex in his eyes, but since she was quite set on relieving his garments of the nasty stains, he chose not to indulge in why or how she seemed so confusing.

So here he was, sitting beneath another tree in a brown-paper sack hued robe, vision focused upon nothing in particular. He had been in this position for over half an hour now, wondering if he should be entering a fair state of boredom anytime soon. His mind was amassed with thoughts at the moment though, yet they were thoughts that he always pondered over whenever he was alone. A tiny portion of them revolved around the present, while the rest settled about the past. Deep down, he idly wondered if he'd move on from all that was centered within the frames of his mind, wondered if he could just drop every single thought, this journey toward nowhere and follow her non-existent trail. At least…at least he would be content with that…

…right?

"I thought that you would be more alert since you're carrying such lethal weapons, but, I guess not, hm?"

He inwardly froze at that, gaze quickly hardening at the voice. There was a bit of an innocent mirth mingled within their tone, which was quite weird considering what had been said. However, the voice sounded rather…familiar.

"If you were to draw either one of them out now," the mysteriously childish voice continued, "do you think that you could kill me before I killed you?"

There was no need to deliberate over this at all. This entire situation depended on speed and agility--two attributes that he most certainly possessed. Mugen could have his sword already drawn, yet Jin always managed to match him in speed and agility.

"You seem quite willing to die," Jin countered softly, slanted orbs now shifting to the side. Due to the mass of the tree's bark, he couldn't see the individual that had dared produced such a question. If only they knew that at the close range they were currently residing in, Jin could still murder them without drawing a single breath.

Before his hand could trail to the katana at his side, his up and coming victim released a light sputter. Followed by the sputter was a tiny snicker that shortly erupted in to full out laughter.

What in the hell was wrong with this person?  
"You…you…aha," they began through the thick of their laughter, "you're so…so…fu-f--funny ne!"

Jin heard the highly amused individual fall prey to the emerald green grass beneath them. They were obviously too tickled to grace their standing position, which offered him a more than perfect opportunity to glare at the culprit before he wounded or killed him.

With a speed so blindingly swift, he snatched his katana in to his grasp as he rose to his feet. Its scabbard easily slipped from its encasement as it went falling to the ground as he skirted around the tree, weapon outstretched and more than ready to strike the young, royal-purple haired teenager…

Jin blanched, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the youth before him. This was his provoker?

"You…you're…"

Souji stared back at the ronin, laughter having ceased right when he had anticipated the man's motions. It had already been a basic instinct for him to know exactly when his opponent would strike. This fine characteristic was heavily engraved into his senses, just like his physical training. Along with that physical training came a side of him that embodied a sense of danger, a sense of malicious evil that only his enemies witnessed before his blade slashed through them.

Jin's eyes scanned over Souji's features briefly, taking in the young man's facial appearance. The usual sunny expression that he was exposed to yesterday was now darkened by a sullenly morbid hue. His eyes had also taken on a more dank look as they peered up at him in utter amusement. Along with the daggers that his dark orbs shot at him, there was also a slight glimmer of a blade pointed directly at him. A katana to be exact. This youth was now beyond his comprehension when it came to his sudden shifts in behavior. Plus, that wakizashi, it looked awfully…

Wait a sec…

"You," Jin commenced in a lightly urgent tone, "you took my katana…"

As if his very words had touched him wholly and yet magically, Souji's menacing features easily melted in to a disarming smile before easing in to the innocence that Jin had encountered the day before. It was as if he had lost his defense mode at the sound of his voice.

"You're just now noticing that? Oi, oi, you must have been in deep thought!"

The wandering samurai's lips quirked in to a frown at that. Deep thought indeed. He couldn't help but to feel a dire anger run its course through him as he gazed down at Souji. It was directed at the youth, but rather at himself for allowing such a horrid thing to happen. Regardless of how close he was to a person, no one had ever taken his katana and wielded it against him before. No one. So having someone somewhat younger than him manage such a thing…it almost made him completely pissed off.

Sensing a bit of the older man's resentment, Souji then slowly withdrew the wakizashi, slipping it back into its scabbard. He was only having fun with him, or so the first captain thought as he began to pout. Then again, he should have expected his response. Hijikata would have reacted the same way.

"Ah, I'm sorry," he apologized almost feebly, offering the man back his weapon. He hadn't meant to upset anyone at all. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately though.

Jin accepted his wakizashi with his free hand, the other still occupied with his katana. He hadn't quite decided on whether he should withdraw just yet. Right now, he could easily snatch his vengeance in to the palm of his hand and slaughter the teenager for taking his wakizashi. Of course he had given it back to him but still. It was better to teach one a lesson, especially one pertaining to stealing and wielding another's own weapon.

"You do know that now that you are unarmed, I could kill you, right?" Jin's voice was mellow but still contained a hint of malice behind his words.

"I know," Souji admitted softly, eyes steadily studying the ronin. "That doesn't quite mean that you will though."

Jin blanched yet again. Who in the hell was this guy to tell him what he would and would not do? "What do you mean by that?"

The Shinsengumi member's smile became dull all of a sudden, as if the life had been drained right out of it. His eyes also adverted to the side before he answered. "Because you still have a conscience."

Jin's brows furrowed greatly at that. Well now, that was most certainly new. He contained a conscious. A conscience.

He? A conscience? He had murdered his master, along with countless of others, but now he possessed a conscience.

This was strangely unbelievable.

Arm falling to his side, Jin then chose to eye Souji a little more cautiously. There seemed to be so many layers within the younger man, layers that he just couldn't quite comprehend with. Most people his age would have been boringly one dimensional. It was a wonder how he had developed so differently.

"So, you don't acquire a conscience?"

Souji chose not to respond to that question. Nowadays, he didn't know whether he contained a conscience or not. If he did, it only remained within _Souji_. Within _Okita Souji_ however…

"Your hakama…what happened to it?"

Raising a delicate brow at how easily Souji had dismissed his inquiry, Jin then transferred his gaze to the paper-sack colored ensemble that he wore now. How, exactly, could he describe what had happened last night? 'Oh, I dropped a bowl of hot rice in my lap because of this over-grown, loud-mouthed idiot'? No, that wouldn't work out too well, not without the other's laughter.

"I had an accident," he answered, placing his unsheathed katana back into its scabbard, "that's all."

Souji blinked at that, eyes now raising confusedly back up at Jin. The words 'an accident' silently registered inside of his head, causing a grin to slowly creep to his full lips.

"An…accident, hm?" He returned slyly, gaze measuring Jin up and down curiously. The other withheld such a high status in his frame of mind that an 'accident' seemed rather impossible for him to have had.

"Yes, an accident," Jin repeated, not knowing exactly what Souji had meant by that.

The purple-haired man looked rather thoughtful for a long moment before replying. "Hmmmm…I was always told that one should remove their clothing before creating an 'accident' ne."

Jin blinked. It was now his turn to be confused for a brief moment before he realized what the other was referring to.

"Not…no, not that kind of accident," he assured Souji with a slight glare. He didn't have to explain himself to the very much amused youth. However, it was best to have some form of clarity in this situation. "I dropped something."

Now that made the first commander laugh. Hard. "Ahaha, I'm sure you did!"

"It was a bowl of rice," Jin clarified, a tiny hint of embarrassment kicking in to his tone of voice.

It was quite obvious that the ronin did not know that no matter how hard he attempted to explain himself, more jokes could be produced. Yet, he chose to back down, once again sensing how flustered Jin was becoming.

"I'm sure that Masafumi-san can get the stain out," Souji said with a nod, laughter having died down completely once more. "I've seen her work miracles before ne."

"I'll take your word for it," Jin announced as he relaxed somewhat. He had been hoping to receive another's opinion about the so-called 'Almighty Masafumi-san'. At least now he felt a bit more reassured about whose hands his hakama was in.

Without another word, the samurai then stepped away from Souji, deciding to take his rest where he had been residing before the younger man had provoked him. He had to clear his head before he met up with Agatsuma-san and her son later on. Even though he had firmly stated that he acquired no money to pay for his room and board, one look at his katana and wakizashi and they had embraced him like no other tenant had before. They had informed him that he would receive a thorough walk-through over his assignment later on in the evening, so he needed to be well-rested and prepared both mentally and physically.

Yet, he wasn't so sure that he was going to attain any form of rest while this kid was around. He didn't seem like the type to allow anyone to meditate while he was up and about with that brilliant smile of his. So, he was utterly curious as to why he was here of all places. Here, as in this nothing but barren grassland that contained very few houses opposed to the hustling and bustling village of the capital.

"What are you doing here?" Jin finally questioned after he had settled himself in to the emerald green sea, weaponry tightly close to his side.

Souji drew his knees to his chest as he leaned in to the tree, eyes closing as he did so. "I came here to clear my head," he responded softly.

"Ah. It seems that that's what we both came here to do then," Jin admitted, also closing his eyes. As if that would keep the youth from speaking anymore.

The younger man's lips twitched upward at that. "You honestly looked like you were sleeping."

"Well, I wasn't."

"Meditating?"

"Perhaps. I was more along the lines of thinking, however."

Souji chose not to comment that he had to have been thinking rather hard and deeply to not notice that his wakizashi had gone missing. So he remained silent for the time being.

For a long moment, neither one of them took up the opportunity in saying much of anything. Silence had, once again, taken her grand entry and had overwhelmed the both of them. Only nature interfered, carefully thinning out the mass of quiet with its cheerful chirps from baby birds and the light, soft bristles from the trees.

Jin readjusted his glasses. Having slept in a warm, comfortable tatami mat for just one night, he already did not desire to return to slumbering in the grasslands, or any part of the country that did not offer a bed for a decent price. This could have explained why he couldn't quite rest his mind just yet. Some form of bedding was far more relaxing than the grass and her partially damp soil.

If only he could just abandon those two slackers, just for the sake of having this little bit of luxury before they drove him insane.

Before his mind could venture off elsewhere, a small fit of laughter hit his ears, causing him to squint venomously straight ahead. It was an ultimate wonder that the other had managed to keep to himself for this long. Why on earth he was so tickled was beyond him at the moment. Then again, he was more than assured that the youth would inform him soon.

"Ne!"

…okay, real soon.

When Jin chose not to respond, Souji went on anyway. "Have you ever read any haikus by Hougyoku?"

"Pardon?"

"Hougyoku. He writes haikus."

"I'm afraid that I haven't." Hell, when did he ever have time to read anything now? With the exception of a sign hinting that there was free food and rooming nearby, Jin did not read that much anymore.

"Would you like to?" Souji offered. The ronin could just hear him smile as he did this. How odd. "It will surely help clear your head ne."

"I've never known anyone to be overly concerned with how another clears his or her head," he responded plainly. Souji reminded him of a small child now. Children always managed to tangle themselves in to other's concerns. It was purely out of innocence however.

And just like a kid, Souji became persistent as he emerged to his feet and half-way circled the tree. He then stopped by Jin's side before plopping down and cracking open a rather thick book and placing it in his lap.

"Na, choose a number."

Jin glared down at the top of Souji's head. Something, he didn't know what it was, insisted that he be nicer to the younger man. He was so used to bickering or hearing bickering nowadays that a civil conversation consisted of him drawing a weapon. This teenager had shown nothing but generosity towards him and here he was, irritated beyond belief.

The samurai deflated inwardly. He couldn't help but to note that he hadn't been quite right since _that_ day. It seemed that he had hardened emotionally, yet deep down…

"Fifty-five," the man answered, eyes now floating down to the book that Souji possessed.

Fortunately, Jin couldn't see the sly smile upon his lips as he flipped to the indicated number. Page fifty-five never failed to amuse him so.

Once he had reached the desired page, he then looked up, wordlessly handing the haiku-filled book over to Jin, who accepted it confusedly. Despite his expression, he situated the book in to his own lap, his dark eyes then scanned over the finely drawn characters, studying them briefly before he began to read. He didn't at all notice that Souji had promptly decided to cover his face with his hands, as if he were hiding from the onslaught of laughter that the characters succeeded to produce.

After a long moment, after Jin had finished immersing himself in to the portion of poetry, he then lifted his gaze, closing the book in the process. Its closure had caused Souji to peer at him curiously through slit fingers. That same, placid mask was still displayed upon Jin's face, sans a tiny hint of something that mingled with his calm features.

"Where did you receive this material?"

"From a friend," the first commander half-lied, hands falling to his sides. The other looked as if he wanted to toss the book far, far away.

"And what possessed you to read…this?" Jin inquired with a slightly perturbed look. He honestly couldn't decide if the haiku had amused him or had mortified him.

The corners of Souji's lips turned upward at this. "Ne, was it that bad?"

"That bad?" The ronin repeated. "I haven't read much in the past few months. Now I'm beginning to see why."

The commander placed a hand upon his stomach, as if steadying the up and coming onslaught of chuckles that were accumulating inside of him. "I…I apolo--gize."

Jin's eyes lowered to Souji, inspecting the man's current position. So he knew that the poetry was horrid? Didn't people usually share literature that bordered along the lines of being extremely well written or beautiful? Not horribly confusing or sappy.

"You shouldn't go around sharing this," he admonished slightly, handing the thick book back to Souji. "I don't think the author would be pleased if you ruined his reputation."

"I don't think it would ruin it," the younger male said as he accepted the book back. "He's far too much of a demon to allow that to happen."

Far too much of a demon? Jin obtained an odd hold upon such an accusation. "So, you know of him?"

"I do," Souji replied without much hesitation.

"Does he know that you have that?" He inquired, eyes drifting over to the book.

"Ah, well, I'm sure that he does now," the Shinsengumi officer offered amusedly, smile now a mile wide. He then emerged to his feet, clutching the book to his chest rather protectively. "So I guess I should head back before he comes looking for me. See you later ne."

Jin nodded silently as he observed him. It was a bit abrupt of a departure but he wasn't going to stop him. As a matter of fact, once Souji had turned his back on him, his eyes had slammed shut, as if blocking out the youth's leaving visage. He didn't desire a nap, but if one were to come along and claim him, he certainly wouldn't have minded it at all.

As the silence increased, Jin's mind began to wander elsewhere. Ever since he had ventured in to the capital, he had fallen victim to this. A wandering samurai's mind was supposed to be set and firm, not aimlessly afloat and in the clouds.

However, with him, it was slightly different. He had watched her depart before leaving himself, yet his thoughts were too scrambled to even recapture what had occurred. Why hadn't he taken her with him? Why hadn't he accompanied her? These were the two questions that plundered about endlessly within the confines of his mind.

How could he have let her go?

"Ne, when can I see you again?"

As if that very voice was the remote that alerted him, Jin's eyes flew open, adverting quickly to the ever-growing familiar face that was beside him. This was the second time today that the younger man had caught him off guard. He had to wonder if he was purposely allowing him to do this, because anyone else would have been dead by now.

"I don't know. Why?"

Souji's lips curled in to an innocent grin as he peered up at Jin. Again, he had caught the other off guard, but this time it wasn't at all intentional. Granted that he had slipped in to stealth mode when he had decided to return to Jin, he still had not meant to disturb him.

"I just wanted to see you again, that's all," he provided merrily, lowering his chin to the thick book that was settled upon his knees. "It's not often that I meet new and interesting people."

Interesting? Since when had he become interesting? All this time Mugen had referred to him as being a 'quiet asshole' among other things, but interesting? And since when did he have to cater to the entertainment of others? It was fine and extremely generous of the other to have helped him and all, but he wasn't anyone's 'playmate'. Not now or ever.

"My apologies, but I'm not exactly the type of person that utilizes his time to entertain others."

Souji blinked, now looking thoroughly confused. "Entertain?" He supplied in return. "No, if I wanted entertainment, I'd remain at home. I just want to see you again, if that's all right with you."

Jin offered him a critical gaze before asking, once more, "Why?"

A small bit of laughter escaped past the commander's lips as he shook his head from side to side. He should have known that this man wasn't used to such a thing. He did, after all, remind him of someone.

"Let's have tea tomorrow at Ikeburo-sensei's," Souji suggested sweetly. An inviting smile then worked its way about his lips, as if that would coax him even more.

Despite the inviting gesture, Jin trailed his eyes to the scenery up ahead. A gentle bristle of wind was brushing against the lush green grass, causing it to sway in a harmonic manner. If he had been alone, the breeze would have been enough to calm him considerably.

"My apologies. I still have no money."

Tilting his head to the side, Souji then chose to examine the older man for a long moment, as if contemplating over whether or not what had just been said was a falsehood. In truth, he knew that Jin was being honest, he just couldn't quite comprehend with why he was comparing the man to someone as harsh and as foul-tempered as Hijikata Toshizou. He felt like he was stupidly comparing ice to fire.

_"Buku."_

Jin blinked as he turned his attention back to Souji. "Did you just say something?"

Thrown completely off guard by Jin's sudden response, Souji shook his head from side to side, as if shaking off the reverie he had somehow plunged himself in to. "Ah, I haven't said anything until now."

Now somewhat confused, the samurai tossed his gaze around for a bit before settling down again. "Shouldn't you be heading back? That man seemed like he wanted to tear me limb from limb because of you."

Now that had caused the younger man's face to burn with an envious shade of red. He wasn't quite sure if the shift in temperature had been caused by his embarrassment for Hijikata's reaction or because his mind was making it out to be more than what it had truly been. He would sooner go for the latter than for the former though.

"I was given permission to leave," Souji assuaged with a slight wave of his hand, "so no worries ne."

"I'm not worried," Jin said firmly, "he just seemed to have his reasons, that's all."

'His reasons' for being so upset had to have been because he had to step outside in the pouring rain and search for the 'child of the commanders'. That had to have been it. Just knowing that, feeling that, really, it caused a sour sensation to plow through Souji's membrane, racing to sullen the rest of his thoughts. It shouldn't have pained him this badly.

But it did.

_"Buku."_

"Did you say something?" Jin inquired once more.

"Ah?" Souji returned inquisitively.

The ronin's stare seemed to harden. "Did you just--"

"Buku-buku!"

The older man glared, now realizing that the teenager hadn't made such a noise.

Clearing his throat, Jin's eyes continued to slither around as he asked, "What was--"

"Buku-buku!"

"…that noise?"

Tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear, Souji's eyes adverted downward, fully indicating that he knew exactly where the source of the noise was located.

"That noise, was him," he answered simply, sunny smile still upon his lips.

His gaze returned to Souji at that, lingering upon his dark, purple orbs before quickly shifting down to where the other's stare was located.

Not even an inch away from him was an awfully round and extremely plump creature. It was a rather dusty carnation pink, which did not seem rather attractable in the slightest. Jin would have labeled it as a farm animal due to its rather large snout, however, it contained a menacing gaze that would have been enough to scare a small child away. Maybe even a grown man if they had the opportunity to face it late at night. All in all though, it resembled a small, plush toy.

"Buku!"

Jin blinked as he began to reach for his wakizashi. "What the hell is that thing?"

"AH!" Souji nearly yelped as he lunged forward, grasping the samurai's arm quite desperately. "Ne, don't be that way! He's my pet!"

"But what the hell is it?" He repeated once more, slipping his eyes between the two. "It doesn't even look like it's breathing."

As if that had thoroughly upset the pet pig, Saizou snorted again before ramming his head in to Jin's upper thigh as hard as he could. Evidently, he wanted to prove to the ronin that he was, indeed, very much alive.

The samurai just glared harder.

"He's a pig ne," Souji replied softly, now tightening his hold upon Jin's arm, just in case. "So call him Saizou, or you'll hurt his feelings."

"I haven't done anything to cause such," the older male dead-panned in a stale tone, "and you saw what he just did to me."

"He had a reason."

"You don't train your pet? How uncouth."

"Saizou doesn't need to be trained," the first commander pointed out sweetly, "he's a very smart one, so he doesn't need any discipline."

For some reason, Jin couldn't help but to continue looking coldly down at the 'thing'. It looked like it was stuffed with some sort of plush material rather than bones and organs.

"Ah, Saizou, you've been playing in the sand again, haven't you?" Souji inquired disappointingly, just now noticing the pig's dirty appearance. He didn't expect much of an answer since he was fully aware that his pet was sizing up the man before him. He had done that when he first laid eyes on Hijikata and Tetsu. It was an awful habit but whatever kept Saizou pleased was enough for him.

"You know, you can release me now. I won't hurt your pet."

Now it was Souji's turn to blink. "Oh!" He then produced, quickly snatching himself away from Jin's seemingly lithe frame. He wasn't as muscular as Hijikata, but he was quite built nonetheless.

_'I should stop,' _the purple-haired man told himself sternly. This samurai was completely different from that man and that was that. There was no need to continue to bring him up every time he took in this guy's appearance.

Perhaps it was time to head back, or, at least a fair distance away from this man. He came here to clear his head but he had only furthered his puzzlement. Chaotic thoughts--he didn't need those right now.

"I should go now," Souji announced as he stood, long hair swishing about gently as he did so. "I hope you'll consider meeting me for tea ne."

Expiring a slightly tired sigh, Jin then shook his head, disapproving of what the other had said. "And I told you, I don't have any mo--"

"I'm offering you an outing," the commander gingerly snipped him off, clutching Hijikata's poem journal to his chest, "that means that I'm paying."

He gave the youth a strange look before shifting his gaze away from him. For a long moment he thought this over, contemplating whether or not he should accompany him for tea. Free tea at that. Granted that he owed him for pointing out the inn and giving him the bag of delicious candy, he supposed that the least he could do was join the frail-looking young man.

"When?" He inquired softly.

Souji's smile seemed to have inched a mile- wide at the inquiry. "I'm for certain that you would like your tea around tea-time."

A tiny sting of embarrassment crept through Jin at that moment. Of course, who didn't have their tea at tea time? It had been quite a long while since he shared such a time with anyone though.

"Of course," he supplied, glancing back over at Souji. "That'll be fine."

Laughing a bit, the first captain then nodded, whirling on his heel as he did so. "Ikeburo-sensei's is only three stores down from the inn that you're staying in, so it won't be much of a walk for you ne."

"I thank you," Jin relieved with a small nod.

"Well, see you tomorrow!" Souji exclaimed rather excitedly. "Na! Saizou, say bye to our friend!"

Rather than saying 'bye' to Jin, Saizou continued to glare up at the stranger contemptuously as he watched the samurai lower his eyes at him.

"Saizou!" Souji called out as he turned back around. "Don't be that way to him!"

Menacing eyes slid over to their master's half-exasperated expression before returning back to Jin. It was as if he were sizing up the man yet again.

All Jin could do was raise a delicate brow at the dust-covered pig.

"Saizou! Stop that and come along ne!"

"Buku," the pet snorted, offering the ronin one last harsh gaze before trotting off to Souji obediently. Of course he didn't really like the man since he couldn't quite instill fear in to him. So he would definitely be torturing Tetsu as soon as he reached home.

"See you tomorrow!" The young captain tossed out with a tiny wave and his biggest grin.

Surprisingly, Jin found his own hand raising and returning the wave as he watched Souji finally depart, pet pig not at all too far behind him. Idly, he wondered why he had performed such a gesture. It wasn't his 'thing' to participate in such petty hand signals. That girl that he traveled with though, out of the three of them, she was the only one who greeted others and eventually departed with them by doing these special things. Perhaps she was rubbing off on him as well?

…no. No, no. That could not have been it.

Then again, this young man, his attitude and demeanor, it all seemed so infectious. It was so childish, so mysterious, so…so…

Lively.

Frankly, Jin felt as if it were all a visage. A thick outer shell that the younger man had created for himself. Such a layer was usually tailored to conceal a parasite that had been investing within a body for a long, period of time.

However, this one seemed a bit too young to be harboring anything _too_ serious.

He snorted lightly at that. All this time had passed by and they _still_ did not know one another's names.

Perhaps names weren't important when it came to knowing others. They were, after all, only used to refer to a person. Simple but true.

Grabbing his weaponry, Jin then rose to his feet. Masafumi-san hadn't given him a specific time to return to her abode, nevertheless, he could always afford to wait a little longer. It wasn't as if he had anything planned anyway.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Note(s):** Alright folks! I should be posting all this info (there's a bunch of it but you guysshall receive the condensed version!)in my writing journal, but no. Jin carries around a wakizashi and a katana (or so I read…). Hougyoku is Hijikata Toshizou's pen-name for those who didn't know/are not that far in the PK series. Uhhh…I had more to add here but I am currently brain-dead after watching **Ong-Bak**. So, yeah, let me know if you want to know anything else/if I'm missing something/if you're just itching to tell me to stop bs-ing and get to the good part. Thanks for reading! Also, I sincerely apologize for the long wait! gives you all cookies and plushies and stuff 


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